Collapsible container



March16, 1937. A. c. MCKEE 2,074,229

COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER Filed May 23, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESSATTORNEYS March 16, 1937. A c MCKEE COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER Filed May 25,1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Amal a a M 266,

m;5mw%

ATTOR N EYS WITNESS Patented Mar. 16, 1937 Application May 23,

Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in collapsible containers forshipping or storage purposes.

- The invention is designed with the particular 5 purpose in view ofproviding an inexpensive,

light weight container comprising a pair of inner and outer sections,fitting together one within the other, to reinforce each other, eachformed of a single piece of material," foldable into a collapsed,substantially flattened-out condition, and adapted for telescoping onewithin the other in their collapsed condition for shipment or storage asa collapsed unit.

My invention is furthermore designed to provide a containercharacterized as above set forth which is inexpensive to manufacture,strong and durable, and well adapted to protect the contents thereofagainst shocks and jars incident to shipping and handling.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and other objects, presentlyappearing, a preferred embodiment of my invention has been illustratedin the accompanying drawings, and described and defined in the followingdescription and claims, respectively.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective illustrating m improved container withthe sections fitted together. v

Figure 2 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 2--2 ofFigure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 3 is a similar view with the sections partly withdrawn one fromthe other.

Figure 4 is a .view in horizontal section.

Figure 5 is a' view in perspective of the inner section in collapsedcondition, and

Figure 6 is a view in perspective illustrating the sections in collapsedand reversed telescoped condition for packing.

Referring to the drawings, the illustrated embodiment of my containercomprises inner and outer sections l and 2, respectively, each formed ofcellular board of the usual well-known type, the sections being of theproper dimensions to slidingly fit one within the other.

The inner section I is formed of a single piece of the material abovedesignated cut, and folded upon itself, to form side walls 3, end walls6,

cover wall 5 and a side flap l at one side edge of said wall ,5. Thefolds 8 at one end of the section I, between the side walls 3 and theend wall 2 provide integral hinge connections between said walls. Theopposite end ,wall 2 is similarly cona cover wall 5, and flaps 6 at eachend of the 1 1936, Serial No. 81,490

nected to one side wall 3 by the fold 9 therebetween and to the othersidewall by a strip of adhesive material I 0 forming a hinge at thispoint between said end wall and opposite side wall.- The cover wall 5has an integral hinge connection to one side wall 3 by means of the foldll therebetween. The folds l2 between the cover wall and theend flaps 6form integral hinge connections therebetween whereby said flaps may befolded over the end walls 4 exteriorly thereof. The fold I3 between thecover wall 5 and the side flap l provides a similar connection forfolding the flap against the outside of said side wall. The cover wall 5is designed to be swung into closed position relative to the section Iwith the flaps 6 and l inserted between the walls of the inner and outersections. To facilitate arranging the flaps 6 in the position their sideedges it are preferably beveled. As will be obvious the primary purposeof the flaps 6 and I is to close the edges of the section.

To collapse the section I the cover wall 5, to-' gether with the flaps 6and I are swung on the fold it until said cover wall is substantiallyaligned with its connected side wall 3. The other side wall 3 and theend walls t may then. be swung on the folds 8 and the strip ofadhesivematerial it! into a flattened-out position as shown in Figure 5. Theflaps 6 and i may then be swung on the folds l2 and I3 outwardly of theconnected side wall 5 into straightened-out position.

The outer section 2 is constructed in substantially the same manner asdescribed with reference to the section l of a single piece of the same.material cut, and folded to provide side walls it, 'end walls it, acover wall i1, an end flap l8 at each end of the cover wall El and aside flap H9 at one side of said cover wall. The folds 26 at one end ofsaid section 2, between the end and side walls it and i5 form integralhinges between said end and side walls, and the other end wall it issimilarly connected to one side wall it by an overlap 2i folded on saidside wall as at 22. The cover wall ii is integrally hinged to one sidewall It by a fold 23. The folds 2t and 25 between the cover wall Ill andthe end and side flaps it and M, respectively, provide for folding saidflaps in a position to fit within the section 2 as shown in Figure 3. Asin the case of the section 6 the flaps l8 are preferably beveled attheir sides as at 26 to facilitate swingingthem into the section 2.

As best shown in Figure 2 the flaps 6 and l and y it and it are designedso that'in thev closing 5 positions of the cover walls 5 and I! theflaps on one of'said walls almost engage the flaps on the other wall sothat when the sections are fully nested said flaps form substantiallycontinuous third walls intermediate the side walls on one side of thesection and intermediate the end walls of said-sections at both ends ofthe latter. This third wall is designed to additionally protect thecontents of the section from shocks and jars.

The outer section 2 may be collapsed in substantially the same manner asdescribed with reference to the section I. Since the procedure forcollapsing this section is largely a matter of repetition of theprocedure described with reference to the section I, it is believed tobe unnecessary todescribe the same in detail.

As will be clear the section 2 in its collapsed condition is of theproper size so that its flattened-out side and end walls I5 and i6 forman envelope open at its side edges into which the correspondingcollapsed parts of the section i may be inserted, the cover section 5and the flaps 6 and I of the section i lying flat against the cover wallI! and flaps I8 and iii of the section 2. In this position of thesection they are compactly arranged and removably secured together forstorage or shipment as a collapsed or knocked-down unit. Obviously thesections i and 2 may be separately collapsed and secured together asabove described orthe side and end walls of the sections may becollapsed together while they are in nested relation.

If desired the inner section I may be provided with a transversepartition 26 having flaps 21 hinged to the ends thereof by folds 28 andcemented or glued to the side walls 3 of said inner section so that thepartition may be folded flat intermediate said side walls as shown inFigure 5.

From the foregoing it will be seen that my invention comprises asectional container the sections of which may be knocked down or foldedinto a flattened-out condition and secured together in such condition bynesting a part of one within 'a part of the other. Furthermore thecontainer in its set-up condition is provided with top and bottomclosure walls either of which may be used for access to the containerand which in their closed position form reinforcing walls intermediatethe inner and outer containers around substantially three sides of thecontainer.

It is to be understood that the details described in the foregoing areillustrative of a preferred embodiment of my invention only, and thatright is herein reserved to modifications of such details falling withinthe scope of the claims appended hereto.

What I claim is:

1. A container comprising, nesting sections tion between said sectionsto prevent the latter from collapsing, and the end and side walls of thesections being foldable while in nested relation when said cover wallsare in opening position.

3. A container comprising, a pair of sections adapted to nest one withinthe other, said sections comprising a pair of cover walls hinged to saidsections, respectively, in, opposed relation and provided with edgeflaps adapted to be inserted between said sections to form in the closedposition of said cover walls reinforcing walls intermediate the ends andone side of the sections, respectively.

4. A container comprising, a pair of sections adapted to nest one withinthe other, said sections having a pair of cover walls hinged to saidsections, respectively, in opposed relation and provided with edge flapsadapted to be inserted between said sections to form in the closedposition of said cover walls reinforcing walls intermediate the ends andone side of the sections,

respectively, said sections comprising end and side walls hingedtogether in each section for folding flat upon each other.

5. A container comprising, a pair of sections adapted to nest one withinthe other, said sections having a pair of cover walls hinged to saidsections, respectively, in opposed relation and provided with edge flapsadapted to be inserted between said sections to form in the closedposition of said cover walls reinforcing walls'intermediate the ends andone side of the sections, respectively, said sections comprising end andside walls hinged together in each section for folding flat upon eachother with the folded walls of one section telescoped between the foldedwalls of they other section.

AUSTIN C. McKEE.

